Dual operated angle cocks

ABSTRACT

An angle cock has its operating handle operable from either side of a railway car. A rod attached to the angle cock handle extends below the angle cock and the car coupler to the other side of the car so that the brakeman can operate the angle cock from either side of the car.

O Unlted States Patent [1 1 [111 3,817,399 Billeter 1 June 18, 1974 1 DUAL OPERATED ANGLE COCKS 1,349,208 8/1920 Kaveney 137/349 1,393,882 10/1921 C mell... 137/349 [75] Invent: Henry Deed-61d 2,713,94s 7/1955 K211 et a1 213/1 R 3,504,806 4/1970 Spees 213/1 R [73] Asslgnee' f valve Company Franklm 3,591,137 7/1971 Billeter 251/315 [22] Filed: 15, 1973 Primary ExaminerDrayton E. Hoffman 2 1 App} 332 4 Attorney, Agent, or Firml(inzer, Flyer, Dom &

McEachran [52] US. Cl 213/1 R, 137/349, 2285396736, [57] STRACT [51] Int. Cl. B61g 3/08, B6lg 5/08 A ang e cock has its operating handle operable from [58] Field of Search 213/1 R, 76; 285/63; either Side Of a r ilway Car. A rod attached to the 1 137/347, 348, 349; 251/315 angle cock handle extends below the angle cock and the car coupler to the other side of the car so that the [56] R f r nc Cit d brakeman can operate the angle cock from either side UNITED STATES PATENTS of the l,142,683 6/1915 Doyle 137/349 7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 6\ .liiiil .2 mm 11111511 I suu |1|H| F1111: .iili illlilit 1 DUAL OPERATED ANGLE COCKS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Angle cocks presently installed upon railway cars for controlling the air in the train pipe line are usually supported alongside the center sill of the car and adjacent the car coupler. The actuating handle for the angle cock is therefore readily accessible for manual operation by the brakeman from only one side of the car. However when the angle cock handle is to be operated from the opposite side of the car the brakeman is re quired to pass between the cars, which are to be coupled or uncoupled, thereby endangering the life and limb of the brakeman.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a new and improved angle cock which is readily accessible for actuation by a brakeman from either side of a railway car without danger to his person.

A further object is to provide a new and improved operating means for an angle cock of standard construction, without materially altering the structure and operation of the same.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top view of the improved angle cock;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the angle Cook of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial top view of the angle cock and the attached operating rod on a smaller scale;

FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an end view of a railway car showing the angle cock arrangement of the invention; while FIG. 6 is a modified form of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The improved dual operating arrangement for angle cocks is applied to and incorporated in an angle cock of the type disclosed in applicants prior US. Pat. No. 3,591,137 issued July 6,, 1971, and is included in the present application by way of reference. In this conventional angle cock an operating handle is pivoted to the valve member so that the handle must first be pivoted or tilted upwardly and then rotated to open the valve. Between its open and closed positions the handle engages stops and recesses in the valve body to lock it in its set position. The handle is also spring pressed into either locked position. Furthermore, the angle cock is usually supported alongside the coupler and car sill so that it rests at an angle of 30 on its support and has an air hose connection directed downward at an angle from the body of the valve as shown in the aforesaid patent.

In the present invention a similar handle operation is employed to open and close the angle cock valve memher, but in addition a second operating means is attached to the operating handle to provide a selective dual operation of the angle cock. The angle cock body indicated generally at 5 connects at each end with the air hose 6--6 by the usual compression fittings 7 and 8 and preferably in a straight through connection and in alignment with the air brake hose. The angle cock body 5 is also mounted on the end of the railway car in the position shown so that the handle 9 is rotated vertically to its open and closed positions. The handle 9 is pivoted near one end by a pin 10 to the valve member 1 1 and is normally urged by a leaf spring 12 into locked engagement by its lug 13 within recesses 14 or 15. The stops 16 and 17 limit the rotation of the handle 9 in either direction. To open or close the valve 5 the end of handle 9 is grasped and tilted to unlock it and then rotated and released so it again locks in its rotated position. The leaf spring 12 is strong enough to maintain the handle in its locked position in the recesses 14 and 15. The angle cock body 5 is preferably supported on the side of the center sill 20 of the railway car by means of a bracket 21 bolted thereto and the usual U-shaped clamp 22 bolted to the bracket 21.

The foregoing describes the arrangement and operation of the angle cock when a brakeman is about to uncouple or couple up railway cars. I-Ie reaches between the cars from one side of the car only and on the side where the angle cock is mounted, to perform this operation. He does not and will not attempt to operate the handle from the other side of the car since this would entail his stepping between the cars and reaching across the coupler 19 and car sill 20, thereby endangering himself as well as being very inconvenient for him to perform.

According to the present invention there is provided a relatively long operating rod 25 attached to one end of the operating handle 9 which serves the purpose of enabling the brakeman to operate the angle cock from the other side of the railway car without danger. The operating rod 25 at one end is bent at an angle at 26 to provide a handle portion for the brakeman to grasp. The other end 27 of operating rod 25 is attached to the opposite end 28 of the handle 9 by an assembly connection consisting of a weld 29 between the rod handle end 27 and a square-shaped rod 30 having a round portion 31 extending through and rotatable within a bracket member 32. A lock nut 33 holds the rod 30 in place on bracket 32. A second square-shaped rod 35 extends through and is secured to bracket 32 at right angles to rod 30 and held in place by a riveted portion 36 on the end of rod 35. The opposite end of square-shaped rod 35 is welded at 37 to the end 28 of operating lever 9 as shown. The square-shaped rods 30 and 35 enable a greater welding surface to be contacted with the opposing surfaces.

In order to avoid unwanted contact or interference with the angle cock 5, the center car sill 20, and the car coupler 19, the operating rod 25 is provided with several bent portions 40 and 41 which enable the rod 25 to extend around and below the above parts. To operate the angle cock into closed valve position, the brakeman grasps the handle portion 26 of rod 25 and first pulls it towards him thereby tilting the valve handle 9 about pivot 10 to unlock the handle from recess 14. Then the brakeman twists the handle clockwise a quarter turn in the direction shown by the arrows in FIGS. 3 and 4 and lets the handle go. This action rotates the valve handle 9 to close the valve and the spring 12 locks the handle in recess 15. To open the valve the brakeman reverses the action.

In order to securely support and guide the operating rod 25 on the railway car, a bracket 42 is bolted to the car sill and has a bearing hole through which the rod extends as shown. It is to be noted that the axis of the operating rod 25 is in direct alignment with the pivot point 10 of the handle 9 so that there is no binding to the smooth and easy operation of the angle cock by the operating rod. This is indicated by the dotted lines 43 shown in FIG. 3.

It will thus be seen that opening or closing of the angle cock by the brakeman can be performed from either side of the railway car without interference with any of the other elements on the car or danger to himself.

A safety feature is also embodied in the arrangement, and by referring to FIG. 4 it will be observed that the handle portion 26 of the operating rod is extended horizontally in the open position of the angle cock. In the event the handle 9 is jarred loose or the spring 12 breaks, the weight of the handle portion 26 together with the assembly 30 is effective to cause the handle 9 to be automatically held-in the open position of the valve. The position of the handle 26 also indicates visually to the brakeman the open or closed position of the valve.

The modification shown in FIG. 6 shows the end 50 of the operating rod 25 attached to the opposite end of the handle 9 as by the elements 51, which are similar to the assembly of FIG. 3. In this arrangement the operating rod is first pushed inward instead of pulled outward as in FIG. 3 and then rotated clockwise to open the angle cock.

What is claimed is:

1. In an operating arrangement for operating an angle cock on a railway car having a center sill and a coupler attached to the center sill, means for supporting said angle cock on one side of said center sill and said coupler, a manually actuated handle on said angle cock, said handle being arranged for rotary movement to open and close said angle cock, stop means for limiting the rotary movement of said handle between its open and closed positions, pivot means for said handle on said angle cock, said handle arranged to be rocked about said pivot means to disengage it from said stop means so that the handle can be rotated, said handle being accessible by a brakeman for actuation in its two different directions from one side of the railway car, a second manually actuated means accessible to a brakeman from the opposite side of said railway car, said second manually actuated means comprising an operating lever having one end attached to said first manually actuated handle and having a portion extending across and under said angle cock, center sill, and coupler to the other side of said railway car, operating lever support means spaced on the opposite side of the center sill from said angle cock, the axis of said operating lever being in alignment with the pivot of the first manually actuated handle, said operating lever arranged to pivot said handle to disengage it from said stops and then to rotate the handle to the open or closed positions of said angle cock.

2. The operating arrangement for an angle cock as claimed in claim 1 in which the operating lever of the second manually actuated means is attached to one end of the handle of the angle cock opposite the handle end accessible to the railway car brakeman.

3. The operating arrangement for an angle cock as claimed in claim 1 in which the manually actuated handle is provided with a spring which normally biases the handle downward against the stop means to lock the handle in either the open or closed position of said angle cock.

4. The operating arrangement for an angle cock as claimed in claim 1 in which the second manually actuated means consists of an operating rod attached to the angle cock handle, and in which the operating rod is first pulled outward from the car side by the brakeman to unlock the angle cock handle, and then rotated axially to rotate the angle cock handle to move the angle cock to open or closed positions.

5. The arrangement for operating an angle cock as claimed in claim 1 in which the actuating handle is pivoted between its ends on the angle cock, and the brakeman has manual access to one end of the handle from one side of the railway car to actuate the angle cock, the operating rod being attached to the opposite end of the handle for manual access by the brakeman from the opposite side of the railway car.

6. The arrangement for operating an angle cock as claimed in claim 5 in which the operating rod extends around the car coupler with both ends of the operating rod being in direct axial alignment with the pivot connection of the handle on the angle cock.

7. An angle cock for use on a railroad car and adapted to be positioned on one side of the car coupler, said angle cock including a pivotally mounted operating handle, spring means normally urging said handle to a position preventing rotational operation thereof, an operating rod attached to said handle and extending to the opposite side of the coupler, said operating rod being movable in a first direction to release said handle for rotational movement and movable in a second direction to effect handle rotation, said first and second directions being in perpendicular planes, the axis of said operating rod being in alignment with the pivot of said operating handle. 

1. In an operating arrangement for operating an angle cock on a railway car having a center sill and a coupler attached to the center sill, means for supporting said angle cock on one side of said center sill and said coupler, a manually actuated handle on said angle cock, said handle being arranged for rotary movement to open and close said angle cock, stop means for limiting the rotary movement of said handle between its open and closed positions, pivot means for said handle on said angle cock, said handle arranged to be rocked about said pivot means to disengage it from said stop means so that the handle can be rotated, said handle being accessible by a brakeman for actuation in its two different directions from one side of the railway car, a second manually actuated means accessible to a brakeman from the opposite side of said railway car, said second manually actuated means comprising an operating lever having one end attached to said first manually actuated handle and having a portion extending across and under said angle cock, center sill, and coupler to the other side of said railway car, operating lever support means spaced on the opposite side of the center sill from said angle cock, the axis of said operating lever being in alignment with the pivot of the first manually actuated handle, said operating lever arranged to pivot said handle to disengage it from said stops and then to rotate the handle to the open or closed positions of said angle cock.
 2. The operating arrangement for an angle cock as claimed in claim 1 in which the operating lever of the second manually actuated means is attached to one end of the handle of the angle cock opposite the handle end accessible to the railway car brakeman.
 3. The operating arrangement for an angle cock as claimed in claim 1 in which the manually actuated handle is provided with a spring which normally biases the handle downward against the stop means to lock the handle in either the open or closed position of said angle cock.
 4. The operating arrangement for an angle cock as claimed in claim 1 in which the second manually actuated means consists of an operating rod attached to the angle cock handle, and in which the operating rod is first pulled outward from the car side by the brakeman to unlock the angle cock handle, and then rotated axially to rotate the angle cock handle to move the angle cock to open or closed positions.
 5. The arrangement for operating an angle cock as claimed in claim 1 in which the actuating handle is pivoted between its ends on the angle cock, and the brakeman has manual access to one end of the handle from one side of the railway car to actuate the angle cock, the operating rod being attached to the opposite end of the handle for manual access by the brakeman from the opposite side of the railway car.
 6. The arrangement for operating an angle cock as claimed in claim 5 in which the operating rod extends around the car coupler with both ends of the operating rod being in direct axial alignment with the pivot connection of the handle on the angle cock.
 7. An angle cock for use on a railroad car and adapted to be positioned on one side of the car coupler, said angle cock including a pivotally mounted operating handle, spring means normally urging said handle to a position prevenTing rotational operation thereof, an operating rod attached to said handle and extending to the opposite side of the coupler, said operating rod being movable in a first direction to release said handle for rotational movement and movable in a second direction to effect handle rotation, said first and second directions being in perpendicular planes, the axis of said operating rod being in alignment with the pivot of said operating handle. 